Miami Drug Trade
thumb|right|338px|Cocaine Cowboys-A Documentary directed by Billy Corben about drug trafficking in the 1970s and 80s in Miami FlordiaCity of Miami Miami is a city known for its glamorous beaches, coastal paradise, and reputation of a fast growing urban population. Another thing that Miami is notorious for is its history with the drug world, especially its relationship with cocaine. This has been glamorized in the media and movies with classic television series Miami Vice, and in movies such as Blow, Bad Boys, and most famously Scarface. Basic Cocaine Information Cocaine is a very powerful stimulant that is generally snorted through the nose in a powdered form. Crack is the crystallized form of cocaine. Cocaine is extracted from the coca leaf that is found in South America. Cocaine is very prevalent even in today's society, especially amongst people of luxury and those who are into recreational partying. Latin American Influence Drug influence in Miami dates all the way back to the 1960s when Fidel Castro came into power in Cuba. This influence of Cubans lead to much trafficking of marijuana and through the relationships made in those drug markets, the availability of cocaine soon become prominent from countries in South America, specifically Colombia. The use of this new drug became very widely used especially by those who could afford it. Demand was very high and cocaine was a very high profile drug during these times. Many of its users were wealthy citizens such lawyers, bankers, doctors, rock stars, even professional athletes became addicted. The reason why Miami was such a hot bed for drug activity was because of accessibility. Miami is a coastal town that also has many off shore islands. There are two national parks that border Miami-Dade County (the county in which Miami is located) and Miami is also bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. In the 1970s enforcement on these coastal borders was not a top priority, allowing drug traffickers to run wild. Crime As the drug trafficking grew, so did crime. Violent crimes increased due to competition in the drug world. Drug feuds over territory were a major influence in this crime. The first major incident of this was the Dadeland Mall massacre in July of 1979. This was a hit on two drug dealers by two other drug dealers that was followed by shooting at unarmed civilians that were shopping at the mall. This was start of organized crime in Miami that was centered around drugs. Also, money laundering in Miami became an extremely large problem. As of 1990, Miami had a surplus of 5.1 billion dollars which was more of a surplus than any of the other 12 national banks combined. Community Involvment It was not only drug dealers and low life thugs that were involved in the cocaine trade. Many people ranging from bankers to police officers to retirees were getting a piece of the action. The Central Intelligence Agency closed a major Miami field office down in the 70s which did not help prevent the crime to run rampant. The drug lifestyle was a way of life in Miami during this period and everyone wanted to get a cut. This total involvement lead cocaine to make a major economic impact on all of Miami-Dade County. An example of the rampant spending of cold hard cash from drugs is described by veteran federal prosecutor Dick Gregorie "We are talking about billions of dollars every year in liquid cash. Well, that was the basis of money laundering in those days. They would take the cash proceeds from all these narcotics sales and they would bring it to the bank. Bank employees would sit in the cellar counting bill after bill after bill and put it into someone's bank account, which then would get wire-transferred to Colombia." Effects on the Lowland South Miami is a city that has grown in the influence of drug trafficking and much of its modern day economy, successful businesses, and high rise buildings can be directly connected to laundered drug money. As a result of the influx of drug money, property and real estate prices rose, however this was not a problem because many could still use drug money to purchase high price items such as jewelry, cars, and property, thus continuing to pump dirty money into the economy. At its height, Miami was America's capital of cocaine trade and these affects are still scene today. References "Awah in Sea Money" by Rebecca Wakefield October 5th 2005 http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2005-10-06/news/awash-in-a-sea-of-money/ "Miami: See it Like a Drug Dealer" by Francisco Alvarado October 13 2005 http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2005-10-13/news/miami-see-it-like-a-drug-dealer/ National Institute of Drug Abuse: Cocaine http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/cocaine.html